Method of controlling multiple calls of communication device

ABSTRACT

A method of controlling multiple calls of a communication device is provided. The method includes the steps below. Firstly, display P remote parties currently connected with the communication device, wherein the P remote parties form Q calls whose number and status determine a call menu including M options, where M is a positive integer. Next, select one of the remote parties, and select N options applicable to the selected remote party from the M options according to the selected remote party, wherein the N options are defined as N applicable options, where N is a positive integer. After that, display the N applicable options corresponding to the selected remote party. Following that, select one of N applicable options, and execute the selected applicable option corresponding to the selected remote party.

This application claims the benefit of Taiwan applications, Serial No.92134471, filed Dec. 5, 2003, and Serial No. 93123142, filed Aug. 2,2004, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates in general to a multiple call controlling method,and more particularly to a method of controlling multiple calls of acommunication device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Currently, mobile phones provide users with the function of connectingwith more than one remote party to establish a multiple call.Corresponding to the function, a mobile phone must provide the user witha mechanism for controlling the calls. For ordinary mobile phonescomplying with GSM specification, the GSM specification defines up totwo established calls and one waiting call at the same time. Of the twoestablished calls, one is active, while the other is held, and only oneof the two calls can be a conference call.

In the conventional method of controlling multiple calls, for controloptions provided in a mobile phone, all current remote parties of themobile phone are taken as a whole. The conventional mobile phonegenerates different menus according to different combinations of thecalls. However, each menu generated is applicable to all of the remoteparties. No matter which remote party is selected by the user, the menugenerated will be the same. Moreover, after entering into the menu, theuser must further select one of the presented options. Following that,the mobile phone will return to the original frame displaying multipleremote parties, and ask the user to reselect a remote party to executethe selected option corresponding to the remote party.

Referring to FIGS. 1A˜1B, diagrams of the call status frame and callmenu frame of a mobile phone when a conventional method of controllingmultiple calls is executed are shown. Refer to FIG. 1 A, assume thatcurrently the mobile phone remains connected with a remote party 1 and aremote party 2, the status of the remote party 1 is a single active callstatus A, and the status of the remote party 2 is a single held callstatus H.

If the user highlights and selects the remote party 1, and presses aselect key, the mobile phone will proceed to the call menu frame asshown in FIG. 1B. In the call menu frame of FIG. 1B, the mobile phonedisplays all of the options applicable to both the remote party 1 andthe remote party 2, including a hold option, a retrieve option and anend option, for selection. If the user highlights and selects the holdoption and presses an enter key, the mobile phone will return to thecall status frame as shown in FIG. 1A, and the user must reselect theremote party 1 upon which the operation of the hold option is performed.After that, the call established between the mobile phone and the remoteparty 1 will be held.

However, conventional technology has its disadvantages. The call menuincludes not only the options applicable to the remote party 1 and theoptions applicable to the remote party 2, but also the optionsapplicable to both the remote party 1 and the remote party 2. Since alarge number of options are displayed, the user has to spend more timefinding the desired option. Moreover, incorrect selection might resultin a serious problem in conventional technology. For example, if theuser selects the retrieve option in FIG. 1B and selects the remote party1 in FIG. 1A, the user will be asked to re-select a remote party orre-select an option from the call menu because the retrieve option isinapplicable to the remote party 1 of the single active call status A.The user will have to spend more time reselecting a desired option.

Especially, when one of the established calls is a conference formed bymultiple remote parties, the call menu frame will list even moreoptions. The user will have to spend more time pressing an up/down keyto select a desired option. Moreover, for those users who are notfamiliar with the practice, an incorrect selection of option will leadto a higher probability of re-selection of remote parties or options.Thus, the user is likely to spend more communication fee or suffer callinterruption due to incorrect operation, which is indeed veryinconvenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a multiple callcontrolling method of a communication device for the user to quicklyselect appropriate option so as to reduce selection time and theprobability of making an incorrect selection.

The invention achieves the above-identified object by providing amultiple calls controlling method of a communication device includingthe steps below. Firstly, display P remote parties currently connectedwith the communication device, wherein the P remote parties form Q callswhose number and status determine a call menu including M options, whereM is a positive integer. Next, select one of the remote parties, andselect N options applicable to the selected remote party from the Moptions according to the selected remote party, wherein the N optionsare defined as N applicable options, where N is a positive integer.After that, display the N applicable options corresponding to theselected remote party. Following that, select one of the N applicableoptions, and execute the selected applicable option corresponding to theselected remote party.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description of the preferred butnon-limiting embodiments. The following description is made withreference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A˜1B are diagrams of the call status frame and call menu frame ofa mobile phone when a conventional method of controlling multiple callsis executed;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method of controlling multiple calls for acommunication device according to first embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 3A˜3B are perspective diagrams of the call status frame and callmenu frame displayed on a mobile phone when a method for controllingmultiple calls according to example one of embodiment one is executed;

FIGS. 4A˜5B are diagrams of the call status frame and call menu frame ofa mobile phone when a method of controlling multiple calls according toexample two of first embodiment is executed; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the communication device according to themultiple calls controlling method illustrated in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION EMBODIMENT ONE

Referring to FIG. 2, a flowchart of a method of controlling multiplecalls of a communication device according to a first embodiment of theinvention is shown. The communication device can be a mobile phone, ahome line, or a wireless telephone for instance. Herein, thecommunication device of the invention is exemplified by a mobile phone.The method is applied in a man machine interface of a mobile phone.Firstly, in the step 202, the P remote parties currently communicatingwith the mobile phone and the status of the P remote parties aredisplayed on the call status frame of the display screen of the mobilephone for selection. The P remote parties form Q calls. The number andstatus of the Q calls determine a call menu including M options, where Mis a positive integer.

Next, in the step 204, whether one of the P remote parties is selectedor not is determined: if so, proceed to step 206, otherwise, return tostep 202.

In step 206, N options applicable to the selected remote party from theM options according to the selected remote party are selected, whereinthe N options are defined as N applicable options, where N is a positiveinteger. In addition, the N applicable options corresponding to theselected remote party on the call menu frame of the display screen ofthe mobile phone for selection are displayed. Next, proceed to step 208to determine whether one of the N applicable options is selected: if so,proceed to step 210, otherwise, return to step 202, i.e., return to theprevious frame. In the step 210, the mobile phone executes the selectedapplicable option corresponding to the selected remote party.

In the above step 204, after one of the P remote parties is selected,according to the status of the call corresponding to the selected remoteparty, the mobile phone preferably sequentially determines whether everyoption of the M options is applicable to the remote party: ifapplicable, set the option as an applicable option; otherwise, hide theoption. In step 206, any options other than the N applicable options arenot displayed on call menu frame for selection. Therefore, the user willnot select any options other than the N applicable options.

The above mobile phone is preferably a mobile phone complying with GSMspecification. The above option is a hold option, a retrieve option, aswap option, an end option, a conference option, a split option or atransferring option for instance.

If no waiting call is generated in a mobile phone complying with GSMspecification, the Q value equals 2. Thus, at most one of the 2 calls isa multiparty call. Each of the two calls can be in a single active callstatus, a single held call status, an active multiparty call status or aheld multiparty call status.

Referring to FIGS. 3A˜3B, perspective diagrams of the call status frameand call menu frame displayed on a mobile phone when a method forcontrolling multiple calls according to the example one of embodimentone is executed are shown. Referring to FIG. 3A, the mobile phone isassumed to stay connected with a remote party 1 and a remote party 2.The remote party 1 is in a single active call status A, while the remoteparty 2 is in a single held status H.

After the user highlights and selects the remote party 1, and pressesthe selection key, the call menu will be displayed on the mobile phoneas shown in FIG. 3B. In the call menu frame of FIG. 3B, only the optionsapplicable to the remote party 1 are displayed on the mobile phone forselection, such as the hold option and the end option for instance. Ifthe user highlights and selects the hold option, and presses the enterkey, the mobile phone will directly hold the call connected with theremote party 1. In the above call select frame, the mobile phone willnot display the retrieve option that is inapplicable to the remote party1 for selection. The user cannot select the retrieve option. Therefore,incorrect selection can be avoided and the selection speed can beincreased.

If the user selects the remote party 2, the mobile phone will display onthe call menu frame only the options applicable to the remote party 2,such as the retrieve option and the end option (not shown here) forinstance. The hold option is hidden, so that the user cannot select thehold option. Thus, incorrect selection can be avoided and the selectionspeed can be increased.

Since only the options applicable to the selected remote party aredisplayed on the call menu frame, users can quickly select the desiredoption whereas, conventionally, users might not select an applicableoption or might select an incorrect option and need to reselect againand again. In addition, after users select the desired option, thepresent preferred embodiment can directly execute the optioncorresponding to the selected remote party whereas conventionally, usershave to return to the previous frame, i.e., the call status frame, tore-select the remote party which executes the option. Therefore thepresent preferred embodiment can further speed up the execution of theoption.

To further elaborate the present preferred embodiment, an example isexemplified. Referring to FIGS. 4A˜5B, perspective diagrams of the callstatus frame and call menu frame of a mobile phone when a method ofcontrolling multiple calls according to example two of first embodimentis executed are shown. Referring to FIG. 4A, the mobile phone is assumedto be currently connected with the remote party 1, the remote party 2and the remote party 3, wherein the remote party 1 is in a single activecall status A, the remote party 2 and the remote party 3 form anconference call, which is in a held multiparty call status H.

After the user highlights and selects the remote party 1, and pressesthe select key, the mobile phone will proceed to the call menu frame asshown in FIG. 4B. The mobile phone only displays the options applicableto the remote party 1, such as the swap option, the conference option,the single active call end option, the all held call end option and allcall end option. After the user selects one of the options and pressesthe enter key, the mobile phone will directly execute the selectedoption of the call corresponding to the remote party 1. The above swapoption is to swap status of the remote party 1 with the status of theconference call formed by the remote party 2 and the remote party 3.While the conference option is for the remote party 1 to join theconference by the remote party 2 and the remote party 3, the singleactive call end option is to end the call of the remote party 1. The allheld cal end option is to end the connection between the remote party 2and the remote party 3, while the all call end option is to end theconnection with the remote parties 1˜3.

Refer to FIG. 5A. If the user selects the remote party 3, the mobilephone will display on the call menu frame only the options applicable tothe remote party 3, such as the swap option, the conference option, theall held call end option and the all call end option as shown in FIG.5B. Since the single active call end option is not applicable to theconference call formed by the remote party 2 and the remote party 3, thesingle active call end option has been hidden lest it might be selected.If the user selects another remote party 2 of the conference, the optiondisplayed on the call menu frame is preferably the same with the optioncorresponding to the remote party 3

Referring to FIG. 6, a block diagram of the communication deviceimplementing the multiple calls controlling method according toembodiment one is shown. The communication device 600 includes a displayscreen 602, a transmission receiving unit 604, a controlling unit 606,and an input device 608. The transmission receiving unit is forconnecting with the multiple remote parties. The controlling unit 606 isfor controlling the display screen 602 and the transmission receivingunit 604. The controlling unit 606 is for executing steps 202 to 210illustrated in FIG. 2. The input device 608 is for the user to operate.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT TWO

Moreover, a multiple call controlling method of a mobile phone of theinvention can directly display the current Q calls of the mobile phoneon the call status for selection, instead of directly selecting theremote party as in the embodiment one. The method of the presentembodiment includes the steps below. Firstly, display the current Qcalls of the mobile phone, wherein the Q calls correspond to a call menuincluding M options, where M is a positive integer. Next, select one ofQ calls. The N options of the M options are applicable to the selectedcall, wherein the N options are defined as N applicable options, where Nis a positive integer. After that, display the N applicable options.Following that, after one of N applicable options is selected, executethe selected applicable option corresponding to the selected call.

In a multiple call controlling method of a mobile phone disclosed in theabove preferred embodiment of the invention, only the options applicableto the selected remote party or call are listed on the call menu frame,so that the user can quickly select the desired option. Moreover, forusers who are not familiar with the method, inapplicable options willnot be selected and therefore error selection can be avoided. Therefore,the invention achieves the object of enabling the user to quickly selectappropriate option and reduce the time of selection and the probabilityof making an incorrect selection. Consequently, the method further savesthe user communication fees and avoids call interruption due toincorrect operations during a call.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms ofa preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover variousmodifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope ofthe appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadestinterpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similararrangements and procedures.

1. A method of controlling multiple calls for a communication device,comprising: (a) displaying P remote parties currently connected with thecommunication device, the P remote parties forming Q calls whose numberand status determine a call menu comprising M options, wherein M is apositive integer, and the Q calls comprise at least one multiparty callincluding at least two of the P remote parties; (b) selecting one of theremote parties, and selecting N options applicable to the selectedremote party from the M options according to the status of the callcorresponding to the selected remote party, the N options being definedas N applicable options, where N is a positive integer, and the statusof the call comprises a single active call status, a single held callstatus, an active multiparty call status and a held multiparty callstatus; (c) displaying the N applicable options corresponding to theselected remote party; and (d) selecting one of the N applicableoptions, and executing the selected applicable option corresponding tothe selected remote party.
 2. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe communication device is a mobile phone complying with GSMspecification.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of theoptions is a hold option, a retrieve option, a swap option, an endoption, a conference option, a split option or a transfer option.
 4. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the method is applied in a manmachine interface of the communication device, in step (a), the remoteparties are displayed on a first frame of a display screen of thecommunication device for selection; in step (c), the N applicableoptions are displayed on a second frame of the display screen forselection.
 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step (b)further comprises, according to the status of the call corresponding tothe selected remote party, sequentially determining whether every optionof the M options is applicable to the remote party; if applicable,setting the option as an applicable option, otherwise, hiding theoption; in step (c), options other than the N applicable options are notdisplayed on the second frame for selection.
 6. A method of controllingmultiple calls for a communication device, comprising: (a) displaying Premote parties currently connected with the communication device on afirst frame of a display screen of the communication device forselection, the P remote parties forming Q calls whose number and statusdetermine a call menu comprising M options, wherein M is a positiveinteger, and the Q calls comprise at least one multiparty call includingat least two of the P remote parties; (b) selecting one of the remoteparties, according to the status of the call corresponding to theselected remote party, sequentially determining whether every option ofthe M options is applicable to the selected remote party; if applicable,setting the option as an applicable option, otherwise, hiding theoption, wherein the status of the call comprises a single active callstatus, a single held call status, an active multiparty call status anda held multiparty call status; (c) displaying the applicable options ona second frame of the display screen for selection, while options otherthan the applicable options are not displayed on the second frame forselection; and (d) selecting one of the applicable options, andexecuting the selected applicable option corresponding to the selectedremote party by the communication device.
 7. The method according toclaim 6, wherein one of the options is a hold option, a retrieve option,a swap option, an end option, a conference option, a split option or atransfer option.
 8. A method of controlling multiple calls for acommunication device, comprising: (a) displaying current Q calls of thecommunication device, the Q calls corresponding to a call menucomprising M options, where M is a positive integer; (b) selecting oneof the Q calls, and according to the selected call, selecting N optionsapplicable to the selected remote party from the M options, the Noptions being defined as N applicable options, wherein N is a positiveinteger, and the Q calls comprise at least one multiparty call includingat least two remote parties, and the status of the call comprises asingle active call status, a single held call status, an activemultiparty call status and a held multiparty call status; (c) displayingthe N applicable options; and (d) selecting one of the N applicableoptions, and executing the selected applicable option corresponding tothe selected call.
 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein thecommunication device is a mobile phone complying with GSM specification.10. The method according to claim 8, wherein one of the options is ahold option, a retrieve option, a swap option, an end option, aconference option, a split option or a transfer option.
 11. The methodaccording to claim 8, wherein the method is applied in a man machineinterface of the communication device, in step (a), the calls aredisplayed on a first frame of a display screen of the communicationdevice for selection; in step (c), the N applicable options aredisplayed on a second frame of the display screen for selection.
 12. Themethod according to claim 11, wherein step (b) further comprisessequentially determining whether every option of the M options isapplicable to the selected call according to the status of the selectedcall; if applicable, setting the option as an applicable option,otherwise, hiding the option; in step (c), options other than the Napplicable options are not displayed on the second frame for selection.13. A communication device capable of controlling multiple calls,comprising: a display screen; a transmission receiving unit forconnecting with a plurality of remote parties; and a controlling unitfor controlling the display screen and the transmission receiving unit,the controlling unit being used for: (a) controlling the display screento display the remote parties currently connected with the communicationdevice, the remote parties forming Q calls whose number and statusdetermine a call menu comprising M options, wherein M is a positiveinteger, and the Q calls comprise at least one multiparty call includingat least two of the remote parties; (b) selecting one of the remoteparties, and selecting N options applicable to the selected remote partyfrom the M options according to the status of the call corresponding tothe selected remote party, the N options being defined as N applicableoptions, where N is a positive integer, and the status of the callcomprises a single active call status, a single held call status, anactive multiparty call status and a held multiparty call status; (c)controlling the display screen to display the N applicable optionscorresponding to the selected remote party; and (d) selecting one of theN applicable options, and executing the selected applicable optioncorresponding to the selected remote party.
 14. The communication deviceaccording to claim 13, wherein the communication device is a mobilephone complying with GSM specification.
 15. The communication deviceaccording to claim 13, wherein one of the options is a hold option, aretrieve option, a swap option, an end option, a conference option, asplit option or a transfer option.
 16. The communication deviceaccording to claim 13, wherein in step (a), the remote parties aredisplayed on a first frame of the display screen of the communicationdevice for selection, while in step (c), the N applicable options aredisplayed on a second frame of the display screen for selection.
 17. Thecommunication device according to claim 16, wherein in step (b), thecontrolling unit further comprises sequentially determining whetherevery option of the M options is applicable to the selected remote partyaccording to the status of the call corresponding to the selected remoteparty; if applicable, setting the option as an applicable option,otherwise, hiding the option; in step (c), options other than the Napplicable options are not displayed on the second frame for selection.